Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-17
LITERARY MEN.
Methods 81 writing and Other Psculiax.
itieo.


Methods 81 wriaing aaA OsAsr Peculiar
isies.
AND xoN-sNoKxRs-ANpRxv LANG Her.
BERT SPENCER, ROBERT l. sTxvESsox, rHAcKsaAY
AND THE RESI-.
From the Edinburxh Dispatch.
Literary men at work might almost b divided
into smokers and non-smokers, and there Is little
doubt that the smokers have It. Among them are
not included the men OF letters journalists who
smoke only before they write. or after they have
finished. Such one is Mr.. Andrew lang, who II
such busy man nowadays that he would prob
ably grudee the time spent In lighting his pipe
MI. Lang does most OF his work In
the early part Of the day, In which habit he re
sembles Mr.. Sala- Both get through an astonish-
Ing amount OF work, twice as much certainly as
they get credit for, yet they are often seen In
ing-he has the largest library on culinary matters
In this country-that the country would be aston
ished could they see him at his frugal breakfast,
he eats one egg, and lunches heavily II he has q
chop. II Is acknowledged among literary men
generally that the best work Is done on the light
miousness in the early part Of Tie day By an ex
hausttve and even exhaustinR late dinner but not
II they have 70 work after IT, several OF the best
f1rmed smokers that they NIL and relight their
pipes without knowing IT, ! know one prominent
This is unusual. Indeed, to smoke a cigar and
write at the same time requires great deal OF
practice. The editor referred 70 has also the trick
Of sticking any pen nib that he sees lying about
into his cigar, and when his stan see him APP
preaching they conceal their pens.
IN many "a men M1G y as SPOKEN 81 Is
ton for instance Is the home OF Mr.. Herbert Spen-
Ger, MI. william Black, Mr.. Edmund Yates, and
being equal, would prefer London, they ind that
their health Is not only better In Brighton, but
that they can do more work away from the roar OF
the metropolis Il Is rather curious that the only
two society papers OF note In London should be
edited by gentlemen whose residence is outside It.
is underwood nowadays to be assisted in her lite.
rary labors by her son. Mr. Blackmore Is among
the writer's who do not like to be driven and only
pursues two callings combining literature with
market gardening.
Mr.. Robert Louis Stevenson is like Descartes in
this respect that he works out some OF his best
ideas In bed. Descartes kept to his bed on princi-
pie, but Mr.. stevenson cannot always help him.
self. According TO an American reporter who
recently interviewed him and found him on his
couch smoking cigarette, this writer's "Dr. Jeky
and Mr.. Hyde" was dreamt before It was written.
II so Mr.. stevenson dreams to some purpose. AS
q matter OF fact he only dreamt the continuation
OF . story that had haunted his waking hours
He is an author who writes best with quiet sur
roundings, and his house at Bournemouth, within
incident or his romances. Mr.. George Meredith
writes his wonderful comedies In three volumes
erected in the garden OF his house near Dorkng
{where Keats wrote "Endym1on0. Here Mr..
Meredith does most OF his writing, and his friends
know that 1t Is one thing to lie asked into his
house and another (and a rareD 10 be taken
to the arbor. AS can be gathered from his
novels, Mr.. Meredith is OF opinion that smoking
must also be made OF the hfStorlan-whoSe name IL
would probably be unfeeling to mention-who,
senera ans he had
cigar holder. This has the ordinary mouth piece,
but branches of, so to speak, at right angles at
the other end. There are holes in these branches
into which the cigars are placed, as many as four
at a time being possibility. Though Carlyle was
a great smoker ne flung himself TOO completely
he wrote. Had he contrived to do SO some OF his
writing might have been less bitter, for pipe is
said to check irritability. good story OF Carlyle
I'm this connection is not generally known. When
he was still young man he walked from Ecclefec-
hen to Edinburgh-a distance OF more than so
miles-to consult doctor about his health. The
doctor asked II he smoked, and hearing That
he did, said that was what was wrong with him.
Carlyle gave up smoking, and sometime aftefward
he went for a walk in a wood Here beneath a tree
he saw lying pipe with tobacco and matches. lie
at once remembered that the medical prescription
had done Lin 10 god, and came " the CONCLUSION
that the whole affair was providential SO lie Lit
The pipe and never again gave up smoking.
CarlyleS walk In Tie wood reminds one that this
was TrollOpe's favoite prescription for planning
fresh novel. He held that once you were inside a
wood OF which you could not see the limits quiet
ness cine 70 you that was admirable for tnvening.
AS he Always tried wood himself when he could
ges IL, there is DOUBTLESS something In thus.
Troilopt's way o! working, however, was so
metbudical that he could plan story or write II
anywhere. Others beside he have found 1t posi-:
bic TO begui,e the voyage between England and
America 10y writing, but ne Is the only aut.yor who
Is known 10 have triumphed over the diriculties
felt uncomfortable at the thought that long rail-
way journey meant the loss o. great part OF a
day, and II preyed on Ills mind tall he got writ
iEgtabe specially constructed for the train. This
" IS 4 complete success. There might be other
persons In the compartment, but as soon as The
novelist got in he set up his table, got out his
writing materials and worked as unconcernedly
II he were Mt hone. As Trollope held that serial
stories for magazines were spoilL II written from
monLh to month ana always eXcepe IN n one case !,
notable that the exception, which appeared In the
opening numbers OF C0rahtil, is generally acknowl-
edged 10 be his best novel.
In 0First Person Singular one OF Mr. Christie
Murray'S stores. there is a novelist, whose man.
ner OF working is doubtless to some extent auto
biographical Sometimes this n veliSt Is longer
worrying over a sentence than writing the rest OF
the chapter, In another Of his books Mr.. Murray
gives Il curious glimpse into the manner OF Writ
Ing pursued by more Bohemian writer's, Who ma
that inspiration goes II there is not lumber be-
side the Ink pot. One OF these when he had a lit
tie money. considered that he saved up for a rainy
water. Then II he wanted ready money all he had
to do was 10 send back few empty bottles to the
this compelled him TO go on drinking the soda
water, but he did not mind that. Our writers now
adays are so busy that they have not the time TO
play the Bohemian. Mr.. JAS Payn has said that In
seven years ne only took one holiday OF more than
q few days, and Mr. Grant Allen speaks or being
"glad enough to lay down the pen out OF my aching
fingers as soon as the days work Is fairly over" IL
used to be no uncommon thing for literary men to
make some money by writing, and then not put
pen to paper Ill II was spent Art1sts twenty years
too, seek to make Large incomes-though they still
sometimes spend 1t all and more. Lamb Is not by
any means the only writer VINO has found LOnQOn
an aid TO composition. Many, however, write more
comfortably In the country. Mr. Jones' the play
wright, for instance, as soon as he had made some
In the country, where he how writes all his
plays Some men can only write at q particular
table, and at particular side OF that table. The
writer Is thinking specially OF one who writes best
with rusty pen nibS He has hundreds OF these in
his desk-the accumulation or years-and he fire.
Quentiy changes them The one he has been using,
however, goes back to the desk for use on some
future occasion. He Is also devoted to anti-macaS-
sarS From these he abstracts the threads with
which he ties his papers together, and on days
It Is curious to think OF Mr. Herbert spencer
playing lawn tennis. One would have as soon
expected TO see Carlyle ut shuttlecOck and battle
door. few years ago, however, Mr.. Spencer
used frequently TO lay down his pen and Int
racquet His braiu was overworked with less than
thing with him 10 seek relaxation In the tennis
court. Before he became so much OF an invalid
Mr.. spencer also went O good deal TO the theater-
always TO the pit, into which he enjoyed lighting
his way. Nothing shows Miss Braddons pOpu-
lartty with novel readers more than q change
OF years ago She used to write In q large hand,
but discovered that she could '.get over the
ground" quicker by writing SMALL as she does
now. Perhaps the pleasantest picture OF lite